Apparatus for raising sunken vessels.



No. 63o,m4. Patented Aug. l, |899.

- E. G. PETTIT. APPARATUS vF'Ol RAISING SUNKENVVESSELS. (Application ledFeb. 27, 1889.)

No Model.) i Sheds-Sheet I.

MME runs me mw wAsnMwN n c No. 63o,|o4 Patented Aug. l, |899.

' E. G.' PETTIT.

APPARATUS FUR' RAISINB SUNKEN VESSELS.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1899,)

M Rif. m 3.13 \%w m v/ h z Vprovide what may be termed a sinkable boat,so constructcdthat itis provided with a series of compartments in whichare ar- UNirED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA G. PETTIT, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR RAl'SlNG` SUNKEN VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming partV of Letters Patent No. 630,104, dated August1, 1899.

Application led February 27, 1899. Serial No. 707,025. (No modelJ' Toall' whom, it may concern: f

Be it known that I, EZ'RA G. PE'r'ri'r, a citt zen of the United-States,residing at Zanesville, in the county of Muskingum andState of Ohio,Ihave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boats; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the-same.

This invention relates to boats,"and more particularly to that class ofboatsemployed in raising sunken vessels or'otherobjects below thesurface of the water.,v

The object of the presentinvention is4 to ranged inflatable sacks orbags from which pipes or tubes lead to an air-pump mounted upon andcarried by another boat, lloat, or vessel upon the surface of the water,thereby enabling the first-named boat to be sunk to any required depthand tobe brought to the surface whenever desirable. The sinkable boat isconstructed with special reference to the raising of sunken vessels-andafter being submerged is designed to be lashed to the sunken vessel andto bring the sunken vessel to the surface with it when the bags or sacksare inflated in a manner hereinafter particularly described.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thecourse of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in certain novel features and details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described,illustrated inthe drawings, and incorporated inthe claims.

In the accompanying draWingaFigure l is a sectional view showing asunken vessel with two of the improved sinkable boats applied thereto,one on each side, the boats being shown submerged and in readinessgtoelevate the sunken vessel to the surface of .thel

water. Fig. 2 is a similar view'showing the improved boat and the mannerof arranging the air-bags in the compartments and placing 5o the same incommunication with a 'pump on Similar numerals of reference designatecor-4 responding parts in all the views.

The improved boat contemplated in this invention may be given anydesired form and :may be of any suitable size,according to the work tobe accomplished thereby. The hull (indicated at l) is shown of theordinary form, and the bottom thereof is preferably made flat for a'considerable distance, as indicated at 2, so as to allow the boat torest evenly upon the bottom of a stream or bodyof water. The boat isalso covered in by a deck' 3 and is divided into any desired number ofcompartments 4, in each ol which is placed an air-tight bag 5, havingconnected thereto an inflating-pipe (5, which passes through a suitableopening 7 in the deck or side of the vessel and leads from thence upwardto an airpump 8, of any suitable type, mounted upon a wrecking vessel 9,which remains on the compartment or compartments controlled by saidvalve.' If desired, a separate valve may be employed for eachcompartment, although it is sufficient to provide one valve for two,three, or even a larger number of compartments.

In connection with the inliating-pipes 6, which are preferably flexibleand of rubber suitably protected, I employ cut-off cocks or valves 13,so that the air compressed in,- the bags may be prevented from escaping'after IOO 'bagst'snnglywithin their respective com- ,pgrtmentsand' wheninflated occupy the entirelcompartmentgbearing against the wallsVthereof;fandth-uerelieving the bags Af rom unxo. due strain.

- Afterarrivi-ng at' the place where the sunken 1vesselistobeiaisedgone, two, or more of the inkableboats'are arranged inproper vrelation to the sunkenve'seland the valves 10 opened,

thereby allowing-fitheboats to sink, the water .enteringthrbn'ghthe'valve-openings and forcingthe air-:out of the bags 5, thestop-cocks 13 bengcp'ened vto admit of the escape of the air. In Fig. ,4the bags are 'fully inflated, so

ze that the boat'will float upon vthe surface of the water-11u Fig. 3the bagsare partially dell/ated and the compartments partially filledwith water and the boat partially'submerged. yIn Figs. 1f and 2 the'boat is shown as resting z 5 upon the bottom of a stream. After theboats are lowered, as shown in Fig. 1, they are bro ht toopposite sidesof' the vessel tobe fai and' indicated at 14: and are lashed orvotherwise conveniently-secured to said vesgh sel. 'In order to hold theseveral boats in proper relation vto .each other, I employ a floator-'beam 15, from which suitable stay ropes or cables 16 lead to theseveral boats. This or iioat also provides convenient means 3'5 forsupporting the inflating-pipes 6, leading upward from the air-bags.After thc'boats have been properlyla'shed together the airpump S isbrought into action and air is grad- 'nally forced into the bags 5. Asthese bags .4o fillfwith air they displace the water within the several.compartments in the boatsand force said'water out through thevalve-openings belowthe'water-lines of the hulls of said boats. Vhenthebags 5 are nearly or entirel-y inflated, the boats 1 rise to the surfaceand carry the sunken vessel upwith them.

Where lthe A,sunken vesselis very large and.

heavy, a number of sinkable boats may be sent down or slid downwardonsuitable chains or cables and fastened to the sunken vessel inthe mostconvenient manner. The bags carried by said boatsmay then be iniated and'the sunken vessel partially raised or' lightened, so that it can betowed-by a tug or other vessel into water which is more shallow. Thisoperation may be repeated until thesunken vessel is brought in to watersuffifciently shallow to enable it to berepaired, the'fleaks stopped,and the vessl pumped out in the ordinary manner. 1'

I do not desire to limit myself to theexact details of construction andarrangement of parts hereinabove set forth, but reserve to myself theright to modify the construction 6,5 of theboa't within the scope ofthis invention.

`It will be apparent that any desired number of compartments andair-bags may be employed and that the boat may be made 'of any desiredsize or general shape and construction without departing from theprinciple or sacriiicing any of the advantages f the Iinvention.

The valves are of course so placed in the bottom of the hull and arealso of such shape that they will not come in contact with the air-bagsor interfere with' the inflation and deflation thereof. It frequentlyhappens that a vessel needs to be repaired near the waterline, in whichevent two of the improved boats carrying inflatable bags may be arrangedone on ,each side of the vessel to be "repaired, thereby enabling thevessel to be elevated suiiiciently to enable access to be had to theplaces in need of repair. This can of course l be done without placingthe vessel in drydock. It also admits of a vessel being scraped andpainted without removing it from the water. Y

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto besecured by Letters Patent, is-

1. A boat provided with a fixed compartment closed on all sides, a valvelocated be low the watenline for admitting Water to said compartment,and an air-tight bag arranged in said compartment and having provisionfor its inflation and deflation, substantially as described.

2. A boat provided with a plurality of xed compartments closed on allsides, one or more valves controlling the admission of water to saidlcompartments adapted when inflated to ill its own compartment, anindependent air-tight bag for each compartment, and an airpipe incommunication with said bags, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. A boat having one or morev xed compartments closed on all sides, andprovided with a valve controlling the admission of wa-4 ter thereto, incombination with an air-tight bag arranged in each compartment andadapted when inflated to ll the same and expel IOO rio

the water therefrom and designed to be de- Hated by the action of theadmitted water and to be inflated by the provision of an inliatng pipeandv a suitable pump, substantially asV controlling the admission ofwater thereto, in compartment; and assists in expelling then-aircombination with an inflatable bag located from the bag. within saidcompartment and adapted When In testimony whereof I aiix my signatureinated to fill the same and expel the water in presence of twoWitnesses.

therefrom, the arrangement 'being such that EZRA G. PETTIT. when the bagis inated, Water is forced from Witnesses: said compartment and when theair is allowed B. B. MASSEY,

to escape from the bag, lthe Water enters the A. J. ANDREWS, J r.

